Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-05-11
FINGER-NAIL SECRETS.
Salient Points OF the Ancient Art
~ Onychomancy.
Yellow specks on the Nails Toreteiliny Ap.
proaching Trouble; Black Ones Denot-
ing Danger; rnre White Forerunners
of Extraordinary Good Fortune.
lChlcago Heraid.I

lChicago Hsraid.I
'In these days OF chirognomy and chiro-
NANCY and all the other oscgies and ancies
relating to peoples hands and heads and
noses and ears, it IS surprising that no one
has as yet revived the old art of onycho-
nancy" said South Side physician the
other day.
WHAT'S onychomancyl Well, tits the srt
of divlnatcn by the nails, and was much
praetsced by some of our many-times-
great-grandfathers, l think in the
eighteenth century. The most learned and
distinguished of onychomancists was
Jerome Cardgn, who was considered as
great al oracle in his day as Mr.. Heron
Alien is Gt present, though Cardan
never made such practical use
of his reputation as tie wide
awake Englishman has dono. He was
largu.d, biase Partisan, always invent
ing some new method of making life en-
durable-n.ethods, By the way, whose only
merit would seem to be originality. One
of his ideas was that gout ougat to be con-
siderea not IS calamity to be gotten rid
OF, but rs blessing TO DO cultivated. Here
is n curious passage have copied from an
extraordinary booS he published, called
lie Propria VSta:' Itwas my practice ha
says, a practice at which many wonderods
to bring on some disorder if happened to
have rome, as have just observed of the
govt. The reason OF this is that, in my
opinion, pleasure consists in the subsiding
Of preceding pain Now, if pain be
voluntary, it can be made to
cease at pleasure. And / have found
that | can not exist without
certain degree OF pain, for, when it alto
gether ceases, so inIpetuous fury seizea
my mind that moderate degree of volun-
tary pain is much more safe AMI renders
me much more respectable. For this rea-
son | bite my lips, distort my fingers.
pinch nay skin and the tender, fleshy part
of my left arm, even TO tears. Thus have
been able to exist without reproach.'
II suppose Monsieur Cardan found that
even such an original amusement as culti-
vating the gout palled occasionally, and
found relicf in onyeh omancy. He devoted
aSgreat deal OF time to the art, and became
quito proficient in it, He himself was the
proud possesser of extraordinarily largo;
nails-nsils so magnificent in volume and
shape that he counted them as sone of the
four eminent gifts bestowed on him in
order that he might be distinguished
from the rest of mankind.' BY means
OF these nails he is said to have foretold
his future almos exactly, finding it traced
out upon them as plainly as in map. For
selves in the form of livid or black mark.
on the nail of the forefinger, while marks
perfectly white appearing in the same
place We're progrostlcs Of coming good
fortune. Specks on the thumb nail moant
approaching honCrs, and riches were her.
aided on the nail of the index finger The
size, color and precise location on the diff
fereat specHs were al matters of tho
greatest Importance.
aagN-
onychomancist He had a great many fol-
lowers and some predecessors. The out
lines Of their doctrine are summarized by
Colin de Pancy in the 'Dictionnaire Infer
nal Xellowish speclls on the nails fore
tell approaching trouble; black ones mean,
danger; red s2ecis, which are very un-
common, givo warning that some ono
has evil designs against us; pure.
white specks are most TO be de-
sired, as they are the forerunners of good
fortune. When these signs appear at the.
bottom Of the ma Is, the accomplishment of,
their prophecies is remote butas the nails.
grow and the marks approximate the tip
Of the fingers speedy fuifillment may be-
expected Of the unguicular vaticinations.'
u beg pGisdol-I didn't catch the last.
words, remarked the reporter.
Il said 'unguicular vaticinations,'" re-
piled ths physician severely
Did yen Know he continued, unbend-
ing, that the Jews held some extraor-
alnary opinions about nails. They used,
to believe that, before tho fall, the bodies
of our first parents were perfectly tran.
sparent, and that of these lucid envelopes
of the soul, our nails, were the sole sur
viving remains. Curious belief, wasn't itk
You wouldn't care TO be so exquisitely,
transparent yourself! Neither should l.
''Ihe long-nail craze is growing moro
and more fashionable | notice some
Of my patients wear regular claws, and
| lhe more fashionable the woman tho,
longer and more pointed her nails. / sup,
pose il is founded on the Chinese idea that
long nails are Indications of gentility,
since they are inconsistent with any me-
chancal employment or such vulgari
pursuit as working for one's bread. I've,
read that in Nubia the long finger nail is
considered an indsputable proof OF good
birth and high rank; SO much 80 that the
aspiring Nubian, who wishes TO get into
society and belong to the upper ten thou
sand, constantly exposes his or her fingcr-
tips TO cedar fires, 4 process which ms ures
the expansion of the nail. IT seems to me
that wo are fast descending, or ascending,
rs you choose to call IL, TO the Nubian
standard, since length of nail really seem s
to be taken IS a criterion Of good breed
ing.
II heard friend OF my daughter the
other day, talking about a young ladv
who has lately moved into the ncighbor-
hood
81 don't think she can be much said
the young woman.
"'Whyr was asked.
"'Well happened to see her with her
glove off and her nails were quite short
ard round in disguised tone.
''hFho knows but that cedar fircs may
yet be put in rcqpisition in Chicagoi
Have you my permission to use the in
formation about onychomancy1 Oh, by all
means. Ny daughters heard me talking
about 1t the other day, and since then they
nave been hard at work studying up all
'the books they can find upon the subject.
To tell The truth, l purposely awakened
their interest in it, with the idea that a
little talk about red spccks' and black
specks' would be a relief from the eternal
chatter npon head ii iesi and 'heart lines
and what not have been compelled To
listen 10 for the last six months"
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